With half the 2008 fantasy baseball season in the books, it’s time to take a look back at how fantasy baseball and the world has changed in the last three months. When the fantasy baseball season started…

…Branded the Latin Sandy Koufax, the New York Media fit Johan for a yarmulke.

So the halfway point of the year officially coincides with the day I trade the 4th of my 4 (H)ACES I drafted. Unloaded (H)amels (and Ellsbury and O. Hudson) for Howard, Oswalt and Parra. Previously I unloaded (H)aren, (H)ernandez and (H)udson…ok I’ll stop with the (H) thing, it’s annoying. My pitching staff consists of only waiver wire pickups (Lilly, Wolf, Sanchez, Parra, Guthrie and Volquez) so its up to you fantasy gurus to protect my massive fantasy pitching lead. I need the name of any and all potentially good starts. My “start all mediocre pitchers at home against the Nationals” experiment was a minor failure…who knew the Orioles couldn’t hit??

@Lou: Don’t count too heavily on Price. Remember, this guy was in college this time last year. He’ll see the majors this year, but he’ll be babied. It’s not like the Rays are hurting for starters right now either.

@Baron Von Vulturewins: I don’t know about Lohse. I’ve hated him ever since I once owned him on a dare from bullies back at Valley High, but this year, he’s on a winning team and he’s going deep into games…. and winning them. His peripherals back this up. Not striking out many, but not exactly Jason Marquis either.

I’m holding on to this penny stock lohser. Me needs the wins.

I was hoping to catch another owner off guard on Marte, but I’m too honest and too Catholic to do this. Maybe I’ll do it and ask my grandma to say a few rosaries for me. While she’s at it, I’ll have her pray for Grey and his sacreligious potty mouth.

@Baron Von Vulturewins: No prob, Ive been looking for any news on Capps because I knew it just wasnt like him to blow 5 out of 6 save opps.

Also a little news on Clay Buchholz…..Boston Red Sox SP Clay Buchholz (finger) threw five shutout innings Monday, June 30, to lower his Triple-A ERA to 1.63. Manager Terry Francona was expected to talk with general manager Theo Epstein about the recent improvements of Buchholz. Buchholz may be getting closer to returning to the Red Sox.

@IowaCubs: Hey, 10 wins is 10 wins. But didn’t Lohse pull this stunt last year with the Phillies? He was really good for awhile, then woke up one day and was like, “Wait, I’m Kyle Lohse.”

Also, what’s with the Cardinals’ knack for finding retread pitchers and making you think they’re good, except that they’re not >coughcough<

Lohse is the collision of those two unpleasant vectors.

As for his peripherals, I say peripherals, pershmipherals. That’s right. Somebody had to say it.

@Steve: Reluctantly, I agree. BUT REMEMBER THIS: Somebody will do to you with Bruce as I did to someone with Cueto: Wait until you run out of patience, then grab him when you drop him just as he’s coming around.

@buff the omniscient: I always take the same approach this time of year. Once I get a good read on what offenses I can spot start pitchers against, I trade away all my aces for hitting. The trick is at the All-Star break you have to be among tops in your league in WHIP and ERA to do this. You have to be very smart about your spot starts in order to protect those categories. Also use alot of good MR, it helps incase your spot start implodes every once and a while. I recently traded away Hamels, Verlander and Zambrano all to get offense which leaves me with Oswalt, Harang, McGowan, Nolasco, Wakefield, Parra, Weaver and Wainwright, Chris Young on the DL. Since Ive traded my aces my pitching categories have actually gotten better. To me you can always find pitching on the Waiver Wire if you know what your doing, you aint finding Jimmy Rollins who I traded for on the Waiver Wire. GO GET YOUR OFFENSE GUYS!!

DeJesus with another homer on his return tonight as well, what’s your thoughts on him Grey? Do you like him better than Butler? For some reason i keep ignoring him even though he’s been hot for quite some time now, and i drafted him last year. He’s back in the FA pool in my league after being added and dropped several times.

@Joe: I like Butler’s upside better, but DeJesus could be more valuable, if that makes sense. If you want the more exciting, you go Butler. If you want the boring/productive, go DeJesus. I tend to think it’s better to go upside when you’re that deep, hence Butler.

Just offered up Street for Guillen. They came back wanting Saito. My SS is Renteria/Kepp so need the upgrade. My other closers are Street (obviously), Rivera, Mikey G with Bucholz and Zumaya hovering. I’m relievers-only so want to keep a minimum of 3.

@BigFatHippo:
This is the last thing I thought I would be reading when I hit refresh. Classic.
My only thing to offer is that there is probably something as simple as your incoming single. Do you think the guy left without sending the signal to the house? If there are no channels to program that tells me no signal.
OK back to it……

Grey, count this as one vote for Dr. Seuss to be the entry of the week.

I can’t take no baseball Sam I Am.
Not in a boat, not with a goat. I do not like life without baseball, I do not like it Sam I Am.

Get signal to the tv in living room, hooked directly from there into the bedroom. Can’t program tv.
Frustrated? I’m about to throw my firstborn though the tv, but he’s bigger than me and playing video games with my roommate while laughing in my general direction.

I’d throw my secondborn through it but I can’t catch him, he’s fast like marsupial.